es into a land for the upholding of the
grandeur of some few persons. No, all these things are ordained for the
good of God's people; and, seeing that it is so, sall ye then make
yourselves like to asses and slaves, to be subject to all that men
pleases to impose upon you? No, no; try anything that they impose upon
you, before ye obey it, if it is warranted by God or not; because God is
the only superior over you.

2. Secondly. "Thy people." This also is a note of distinction; for every
people are God's people, but there is a distinction among them. All
people, it's true, are God's people by right of creation: why therefore
says he, _Thy_ people, and not _all_ people? Because all people belong
not to Christ. God has authority over all indeed, but in a special
manner He enters into covenant with some. All people who are subject to
Him in His providence are not His peculiar people, His royal nation, His
holy priesthood, His chosen generation, but only those of them who
belong to Christ; those are properly termed to be His people. And we
should remember of this, that those who are the people of God, they have
notable privileges; they have all things that any people should have,
and, whatever we should be, they have that. Where any are the people of
God, there there is blessedness indeed, for they have His truth for
their security, they have His love for their comfort, His power for
their defence. The Lord God, He takes His people into His bosom, and
with every soul He does so, and says, "I the Lord thy God enters in
covenant with thee, and renews the covenant that before I made with
thee." And then He lays a necessity upon thee, by His providence, that
thou must enter into covenant with Him; and then He says to thee, "I
will not remember thy sins any more; I know they are heinous, great, and
many, but because thou desires that they should not be remembered,
therefore I will not remember them. And because when ye have renewed
your covenant with Me, ye will be aye in a fear to break it again,
therefore I will write My law in your hearts. And so whatever I promise
to you, I will perform it freely when ye are in covenant with Me; and
whatever ye promise to Me, being in covenant with Me, I sall perform it
for you also, at least I sall give you strength to perform it." And
therefore to the end that ye may be perfectly blessed, enter into a
covenant with God; and without ye be in covenant with Him, ye sall be
in nothing but perpe